Learning Goal: I’m working on a writing question and need guidance to help me learn.
In this Reading Response, you have a choice between two different topics, so only do one of the following topics, Topic A on Mid-Tang poetry, or Topic B on Tang Tales. Write Topic A or Topic B at the top of your response, so that we can clearly see which one you are answering. Address all aspects of the topic, based on your own reading of the texts, commentary in the Owen anthology, and listening to the lectures. (I will post the lecture on Tang Tales early to give you a chance to listen to it before submitting your response.)
Topic A
Mid-Tang poetry (Owen, pp. 478-502) marks a major turning point in poetic expression in the history of Chinese literature in that the poems of that era often explicitly interpret the world outside the poet, rather than being composed as seemingly transparent descriptions of and reactions to the external world. Choose one or two poems for your main analysis, but you can refer to other poems (put the page #s from the Owen anthology in parentheses after your first mention of each poems title). Discuss how the poems interpret the external world rather than simply describe and react to it.
OR
Topic B
Do you feel that Ying Ying maintained control of her life and story in the Tang classical tale Ying-yings Story (Owen, pp. 540-549), or do you feel that she was a victim of the young man, Zhang, who abandoned her? Support your answer by referring to events, actions and dialogue from the text; but rather than spending a long time repeating what happened in the story, use brief citations from the story (feel free to paraphrase or summarize it) to support your interpretation of the story.
Your entire submission should be 400-600 words, but can be up to 800 if necessary, typed or pasted directly into the text submission box. You can compose your response on your computer first, then paste it into Quercus, in case you lose your connection. This is an individual assignment, so do not work in groups. Your submission will be scanned to detect similarities with those of other students.
